Tosh's children at odds over estate funds

A legal battle is brewing among the children of late reggae icon, Peter Tosh. Earlier this week, news broke that the offspring of the famous singer have been at odds surrounding a lump sum of over US$2 million in royalties from his estate.

In a suit filed in October, Aldrina McIntosh, one of Tosh's daughters, claimed that her younger sister, Niambe McIntosh, has been holding back from her and her eight other siblings. Tosh, who was murdered back in 1987, died without leaving a will, and as such, his estate had been managed by a court-appointed lawyer until 2009 when Niambe took charge.

No money for five years

In the suit, Aldrina claims that neither she nor her other siblings have received any money from Niambe for the past five years. The estate of the famed singer who was part of the world-renowned reggae group, The Wailers, reportedly rakes in between US$150,000 and $300,000 annually, according to court documents. It is believed that this money is to be split evenly among the 10 siblings each year.

According to online sources, at the time of Tosh's death, there was only US$280,000 in Tosh's estate coffers, but Aldrina believes that her younger sister is hiding some US $1.7 million more in funds according to court papers, a claim Niambe denies. In an interview with the New York Post earlier this week, Niambe said the total listed was a gross exaggeration to the actual balance, but refused to reveal what that balance was. She also said that she had been in contact with her siblings and that they are working on moving forward together.

"We're all in conversations to start things differently, and we're moving forward in a united front," she said in the interview.

However, Aldrina's lawyer, Sheldon Fleishman said otherwise. "(Niambe) tells me she keeps them (her siblings) informed," Fleishman said in an interview with The Post. "Obviously, they tell me something different."

The children are due back in court in February.

Since the news of the feud was brought to light, The Sunday Gleaner has contacted attorney-at-law Sheldon Fleishman for additional information surrounding the matter, and should have an update in subsequent reports.